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Northwestern Wildcats Basketball Details

When Northwestern won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in 2017, alumni around the country were happier than most fans of national champions. That’s understandable, as this academic powerhouse has made great athletic strides in recent years.

Basketball at Northwestern dates back to 1901. The Wildcats’ only two Big Ten Conference titles came in 1931 and 1933, and they have since spent most of the time in the bottom half of the conference. In 2017, Northwestern became the last school from one of the Power Five conferences to make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats boast a handful of All-America selections in their history. One of them – Otto Graham (class of 1944) – later became a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Cleveland Browns.

While Northwestern hasn’t been historically successful on the court, its rivalry with Illinois is still heated. The Big Ten thought enough of the matchup that it made Northwestern-Illinois a “protected rivalry” in the conference, allowing for a guaranteed home-and-home series every season.

Home games are played on campus at Welsh-Ryan Arena, whose capacity is cozy at just over 8,000. The building was first used in 1952, and a $110 million renovation was completed before the 2018-19 season. There’s a lot to do in Evanston if you’re planning to hang around before a game, with plenty of shopping and dining options within walking distance of campus. We’d go for deep dish pizza, but won’t tell you what to do.

A tradition unique to Northwestern basketball is the uniforms worn on Senior Day. For the occasion, the seniors get to design their own uniforms for the game at Welsh-Ryan.

Ready to watch a college hoops program on the rise in the Chicago suburbs? Get your Northwestern tickets now!